As we continue our preview of the 2023 college football season in the Pac-12 conference, we are going to shift our focus from individual teams to individual positions. The last several weeks have been spent picking apart each school out west, finding where they improved the most over the offseason, and identifying what realistic expectations should be for them going forward.
You can see them all here: Arizona Wildcats — Arizona State Sun Devils — California Golden Bears — Colorado Buffaloes — Oregon State Beavers — Stanford Cardinal — UCLA Bruins — USC Trojans — Utah Utes — Washington Huskies — Washington State Cougars
Now, we’re going to look at position groups as a whole in the conference. Whether it’s a quarterback or a linebacker, a punter or a safety, there are dozens of highly talented players out west. We want to go through them all, position group by position group, and highlight some of the most important names that fans should know at each spot.
Quarterbacks — Wide Receivers — Running Backs — Tight Ends — Offensive Line — Defensive Line
The Pac-12 may be widely regarded as an offensive league where quarterback play is king, but that has brought an increased need for strong defenses that will set a team apart from the rest.
At the middle of a strong defense is a linebacking corp that can navigate the many schemes needed to keep things running in the right direction.
While Pac-12 linebackers may not get the shine that their counterparts do in the SEC or the Big Ten, they are just as important to success out west. With the needed ability to cover in space and drive downhill to stop the run, a newer mold of LB has started to pop up in our game as of late, and a more versatile player is taking the stage.
Going into the 2023 season, there are a number of defenders at this position who are worth watching, because they could ultimately have the ability to turn a game, or a season, for their respective teams.
Here are some of the most important linebacker names that we think you need to know going into the fall.